The disclosure relates generally to dynamoelectric machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for reducing or repairing vibration damage in a stator core, and a dynamoelectric machine resulting from the method.
Dynamoelectric machines, such as generators, may be used in power plants, cogeneration plants, vehicles, or other implementations for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Dynamoelectric machines may include several laminations stacked into a “stator core,” and used to create magnetic conductance for power generation. A stator armature composed of one or more stator bars may be wound throughout the stator core. The stator core can include stator bar slots for holding stator bars and other components. In some cases, a side ripple spring can be coupled to the stator core or the stator bar. In situations where the stator bar does not completely fill a stator bar slot, the side ripple spring can flexibly occupy any remaining gaps between the stator bar and the stator core.
As a dynamoelectric machine operates, stator bars contained in a stator core can suffer damage from stator vibrations. A side ripple spring on the stator core or the stator bars can reduce this damage by absorbing the stator vibrations. However, side ripple springs themselves can also experience wear and degradation over time.